Hundreds of colleagues, friends, family and community members filled the theatre at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to honor Meg Rush, MD, MMHC, for her extraordinary 41-year career dedicated to children’s health care.
Rush, who will retire as President of Monroe Carell on Dec. 31, has spent her entire medical career at Vanderbilt Health and Monroe Carell. She first arrived in 1984 as a passionate pediatric resident, completed her fellowship in neonatology and later joined the faculty in 1990. Over the decades, she rose through the ranks as an investigator, educator, mentor, and ultimately, as president of Monroe Carell, her role since 2020.
As speakers shared stories and gratitude, many reflected on Rush’s unwavering commitment to Monroe Carell’s mission: to be a place of hope and healing for all families. They also offered lessons she had imparted to them over the years. For Rush, the most meaningful part of her journey has been the people — the children, their families, and the faculty, staff and trainees with whom she has worked over the years.
“It has been a true honor and privilege to contribute to the growth of pediatric health care for my entire career in one way or another,” Rush said. “The journey to the Monroe Carell of 2025 has been the layered success of many visions, hard work, and at the core, incredible people. I have had the incredible gift of working with and leading great teams to accomplish, slowly and steadily, growth and advancing programs over many years. I am so grateful to the people who have made my life’s work so special.”
Throughout her tenure, Rush has been a steadfast advocate for ensuring children receive high-quality, compassionate care. Under her leadership, Monroe Carell achieved national recognition, earning the title of No. 1 children’s hospital in Tennessee and the Southeast for five consecutive years and maintaining its place on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” list for 19 years. The hospital also recently was named a 2025 Leapfrog Top Hospital for its commitment to quality and safety, a designation achieved by only 15 pediatric facilities across the nation.
During her time, she oversaw several major initiatives, including the four-floor expansion, new regional clinics and plans to soon build Tennessee’s first pediatric inpatient rehabilitation unit.
At the reception, as a special treat, several pediatric patients — along with canine clinicians Squid and Velour, and mascots from sports teams around the city — surprised Rush and brought her gifts.
